Page 13 of The Player

“Let’s start with something simple,” Seth said, his voice calm and controlled. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, his fingers grazing her skin. He saw her flinch, just the slightest movement, but she didn’t pull away.

“We need to make sure you’re comfortable with me,” he continued, his voice soft but firm. “No hesitation, no fear.”

Hope’s eyes flashed with defiance, but she nodded, a silent challenge in her gaze. “I’m fine,” she said, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her.

Seth moved closer, his hand sliding around her waist, pulling her against him. He felt the tension in her body, the way she stiffened at the contact, and he knew she was fighting against her instincts.

“No, you’re not. Relax, Hope,” he murmured, his lips close to her ear. “We need to be believable.”

Hope let out a slow breath, forcing herself to relax in his arms. He could feel the effort it took, the way she was pushing herself to let go, but the tension between them was still there, humming beneath the surface.

“Good,” Seth said, his voice low and soothing. “Now, let’s take it a step further.”

He tilted her chin up, forcing her to look into his eyes. Her gaze was filled with a mix of emotions—fear, desire, defiance—and he knew she was on the edge, teetering between control and surrender.

Seth leaned in, his lips brushing against hers, a soft, teasing touch that sent a shiver down her spine. He felt her hesitation in the way she held herself back, but he didn’t stop. He deepened the kiss, one hand tightening on her waist, pulling her closer, feeling the heat of her body against his as the other went up to fist her hair.

For a moment, she resisted, her hands pressing against his chest as if to push him away. But then, slowly, she began to yield, her body softening against him, her hands sliding up to his shoulders.

Seth could feel the change in her, the way she was starting to let go, to give in to the pull between them. He knew this was more than just practice, more than just getting into character. This was real; the desire that had been simmering between them finally breaking through.

He deepened the kiss, his hand sliding up to cup her face, his thumb brushing against her cheek. He felt her tremble, a soft, involuntary shudder, and he knew she was on the brink of surrender.

But just as quickly as she had let herself go, she pulled back, breaking the kiss and stepping out of his embrace. Her eyes were wide, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps, and Seth could see the fear in her gaze, the way she was struggling to regain control.

“Hope—” Seth began, but she shook her head, cutting him off.

“No,” she said, her voice trembling. “This isn’t… I can’t…”

She took another step back, putting distance between them, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Seth could see the walls going back up, the barriers she was desperately trying to rebuild.

“We were just practicing,” she said, her voice firmer now, as if she were trying to convince herself as much as him. “That’s all it was.”

Seth stared at her, the frustration and desire roiling inside him, but he knew better than to push her. Not now. Not when she was so close to breaking.

“Right,” he said, his voice clipped. “Just practice.”

Hope nodded, her eyes still wide, her chest rising and falling with her rapid breaths. She turned away, walking quickly to the other side of the room, putting as much distance between them as she could.

Seth watched her go, the tension between them thicker than ever. He knew she was running, retreating back into herself, back to the safety of her walls. And as much as he wanted to chase after her, to break through those barriers once and for all, he knew he couldn’t. Not yet.

This was the game they were playing, a dangerous dance of deception and desire, and the stakes were higher than ever. They were walking a fine line between reality and pretense, and one wrong step could send them both crashing down.

But as Seth watched Hope, saw the way she was struggling to hold herself together, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were already on the edge.

And when the time came, he wasn’t sure if either of them would be able to pull back.

CHAPTER 6

HOPE

Hope settled onto the comfortable leather Chesterfield couch in the townhouse’s library, the soft light from the lamp casting a warm glow over the space. She had dimmed the lights, pulled a thick blanket over her legs, and set up a movie on the flat-screen TV—a mindless action flick, something with easy-on-the-eyes guys and muscles to spare—something far removed from the world they were tangled up in.

She needed the distraction, something to pull her away from the maelstrom of emotions roiling inside her. But even as the movie started, her thoughts drifted back to Seth, who was somewhere in the house, probably as cool and collected as ever. The tension between them had been palpable earlier, their kiss too real, too charged, and yet, he had walked away as if it hadn’t affected him at all.

She huffed in frustration, adjusting the blanket over her legs, trying to focus on the characters bantering on the screen. But the lighthearted dialogue couldn’t hold her attention. All she could think about was the feel of Seth’s hands on her skin, the way his lips had moved against hers, how she had almost—almost—let herself give in.

But then, like always, she had pulled away, retreating into the safety of her emotional fortress, unwilling to let him see how deeply he affected her. It was a pattern she had perfected over the years, a way of protecting herself from the vulnerability that came with caring too much.

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